Apple

Google isn’t updating its iOS apps and Apple’s new privacy labels might be to blame

Google is updating its apps on Android, but not iOS. What gives?

by
Josiah Motley
January 6, 2021

Image: KnowTechie

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Back in December, Apple made it mandatory for companies to include privacy and data information in new apps and app updates.

This was on December 8, and according to Fast Company, the last time any Google app saw an update on iOS was December 7. That’s very unusual for a big tech company like Google. You would think it would push at least a security update during that time, but no, nothing.

Well, maybe it was just because of the holidays, right? That might be a plausible answer, if not for the fact that Google has been updating its apps on Android. Fast Company reports that the Gmail app, the YouTube app, and more have been updated in the weeks since.

Apple’s new privacy labels have revealed some pretty startling facts about how much data some apps are collecting on users. Take Facebook Messenger, for example.

According to 9to5Mac, Messenger is collecting way more information than other messaging apps like WhatsApp, Signal, and iMessage. Signal collects almost zero data on its users, just the phone number. iMessage collects your email address, phone number, search data, and device ID.

For anyone following along, iOS 14 now requires apps to have a “nutrition label” of sorts in regard to what data they collect on you. (This is a good thing) This is facebooks. #privacy #apple #facebook pic.twitter.com/IxKo7sPQjm
— 2023 Stu (@Kuja_Stu) December 16, 2020

Messenger, on the other hand, collects easily over 100 data points across third-party advertising and developer advertising.

This brings us back to Google. Is the company worried about how revealing the new privacy labels will be? Is it going to be that bad? Time will tell, as Google will have to update these apps eventually. Until then, we can only speculate.

Have any thoughts on this? Do you think the privacy labels are to blame? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.